


(let me stay) by your side

by kythen



Series: Fics for Others [7]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Getting Together, Injury, M/M, Pining, Sexual Tension, daichi your crush is showing, ft. kuroo's arm cast
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-08
Updated: 2018-07-08
Packaged: 2019-06-07 06:53:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15213599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kythen/pseuds/kythen
Summary: Kuroo fractures his dominant arm. Luckily, Daichi is there to look after him.(No, they aren’t dating.)





	(let me stay) by your side

**Author's Note:**

> Fic for Huii!

"...next time, please specify _why_ you're at the hospital instead of telling me to just come over," Daichi says as he slams the front door shut.

Kuroo stands in the entryway, clutching his injured arm meekly and looking suitably chastised. His right arm sits stiffly in a cast, held in place across his chest in a sling, and even his hair looks limp after waiting at the A&E for almost an entire night. Daichi's heart twinges to see Kuroo look this miserable but Daichi had been worried sick when he had gotten a call from Kuroo and all he heard was "Daichi, I need you to come to the hospital now please—" before the line went dead. Daichi had dropped everything and driven to the nearest hospital in blind panic, running at least two stoplights and going well above the speed limit only to find Kuroo huddled down in a plastic chair at the A&E, well and alive apart from the arm he was holding close to his body.

"My phone died halfway through the call. Then I borrowed someone else's phone and tried calling you again but you were already on your way here," Kuroo explains, scuffing his shoes and keeping his gaze down.

Daichi sighs. He can't stay mad at Kuroo for long. Besides, he wasn't even mad to begin with, just worried. "I thought something terrible happened to you. I thought you were _dying_ or something."

"Nothing that drastic, but it did hurt." Kuroo raises his arm to show off his cast then winces and puts it back down.

Daichi heads into the kitchen, carrying over a chair and putting it down next to Kuroo. "Stop moving that injured arm of yours and sit down."

"What, why?" Kuroo glances at the chair warily.

"So I can take your shoes off."

Kuroo hesitates. "You don't have to do that for me, Daichi—"

"Sit. Down."

Kuroo sits.

Daichi crouches at Kuroo's feet and starts unlacing his shoes. Now that they are finally away from the hospital, the tightly wound up ball of worry in his chest begins to unravel into sheer relief. Daichi wouldn't know what he would do with himself if something happened to Kuroo. They had gone through university together, two of them packed into a tiny shared apartment for four years until they had found modest apartments of their own after working. Daichi knows Kuroo's apartment like the back of his hand, he could navigate it in his sleep and host a party in it without even having to ask Kuroo where he kept anything. He likes the place, but he thinks it has more to do with who lives in it than its interior design.

Daichi likes Kuroo, and has liked him ever since their university days when his feelings for Kuroo bubbled up and overflowed from friendship into something much stronger. He thinks he might even love Kuroo and it scares him to look at Kuroo that way because he knows whatever he feels for Kuroo doesn't matter when Kuroo only sees him as a friend and nothing more. It has been years since Daichi's realisation and at this point of time, all Daichi can hope for is to be able to stay close to Kuroo for just a while longer before Kuroo finds the woman of his dreams and settles down like he always wanted.

Daichi eases Kuroo's shoes off his feet and arranges them neatly in his shoe rack before sitting back on his haunches to look at Kuroo's casted arm critically. As ambidextrous as Kuroo is on court, Daichi has seen the disasters Kuroo had brought about when he tried to use his left hand in regular activities. He hadn't enjoyed helping Kuroo clean up those messes.

"It's not that bad," Kuroo cuts into his thoughts, wiggling his toes under Daichi. "I've probably kept you long enough. You should go home and get some sleep. I'll be able to manage from here."

Daichi snorts. "Yeah, right. I've heard that enough in university. Don't think that I'll trust you even if you've graduated."

"You were always my better half, Daichi," Kuroo says fondly and Daichi stands up, ducking his head as he goes back to the kitchen so that Kuroo doesn't see the flush on his face. "Hey, wait, where are you going?"

Daichi opens a drawer and fishes out a roll of cling wrap, turning around as he hears Kuroo dragging the chair towards the kitchen.

"Oh god, you're going to kill me, aren't you?" Kuroo gasps as he drops the chair into place. "I really pissed you off with the hospital thing."

"Yes, I waited for hours with you at the A&E only to finally end your suffering after reaching home. I'm sorry it had to be this way, Kuroo," Daichi deadpans.

"No, really." Kuroo leans on the back of the chair and raises one expressive eyebrow. "What _are_ you doing with that?"

"The doctor said you should keep your cast dry so I'll wrap it for you before you head into the shower," Daichi explains.

"Daichi," Kuroo says, his eyes soft but his voice firm. "Go home. Get some sleep. It's midnight. You've done enough for me today."

"I've done worst things for you," Daichi retorts. "This isn't anything new."

Kuroo runs his hand raggedly through his hair, a small smile lifting the corners of his lips. "You're too good to me, Daichi."

Daichi starts forward, grabbing Kuroo by the left arm and towing him towards the bathroom. "You say this now but wait until they find your murdered body wrapped in cling wrap."

"At least I'll still be keeping my cast dry." Kuroo follows Daichi obediently.

Kuroo struggles out of his shirt when Daichi motions for him to take it off and Daichi tugs Kuroo's shirt off his bedhead when it gets stuck there, easing it around Kuroo's cast carefully before tossing it to the side. He tries not to look at Kuroo's bare chest as he starts wrapping his casted arm with cling wrap, making it as waterproof as possible so that Kuroo doesn't end up ruining it on his first day with it. He can feel Kuroo's eyes on him, watching him with great interest as he finishes covering his arm, and Kuroo's forehead nearly knocks against his as Kuroo peers down at the end product.

Daichi tapes down the cling wrap and steps away, his nerves frazzled and frayed from standing so close to Kuroo. He pats Kuroo's arm in his most business-like manner. "There. All done."

"It's really impressive but do I have to do this every time I want to shower?" Kuroo asks, looking his arm over.

"I'll get you a plastic bag that's big enough to fit your arm," Daichi promises. "Maybe I'll steal those plastic bags they have at mall entrances for wet umbrellas."

"I resent that you just called my broken arm a wet umbrella," Kuroo says. Before he heads into the bathroom, Kuroo pauses for a moment to ask, "Why don't you stay over tonight, Daichi? You know where my spare futon is."

A part of Daichi wants to say no, because he doesn't know how he is going to sleep next to Kuroo without his heart giving out in the middle of the night, but another part of him thinks what Kuroo is offering makes sense. It is late and Daichi is exhausted and he doesn't really want to drive back to his empty apartment and worry about how Kuroo is doing with his fractured arm.

So he says yes.

\---

In retrospect, maybe Kuroo had asked Daichi to stay over because he knows he won't be able to make an edible breakfast with just his left hand. And he knows that Daichi cooks breakfast every morning and since Kuroo is around, Daichi will make two portions out of instinct more than anything. Which is why when Kuroo shuffles out of his bedroom in the morning, he finds two servings of rice, egg rolls, grilled fish, and soup on the table and Daichi gazing blearily down at them as if trying to figure out how that happened.

"I need to break my arm more often," Kuroo remarks as he sits down at his dining table shamelessly as if he wakes up to a spread every morning, yawning as he reaches for his chopsticks.

"That can be arranged," Daichi tells him, eyeing Kuroo's good arm.

He gives Kuroo a moment to fumble with his chopsticks unsuccessfully before Kuroo finally gives up and stabs an egg roll with the chopsticks, popping the whole thing into his mouth. Kuroo looks up at Daichi, his eyes pleading, and he looks so much like a lost kitten that Daichi brings over a fork and spoon for him.

Daichi watches Kuroo in between bites of his breakfast as Kuroo alternates between the fork and spoon clumsily. Kuroo pokes at the grilled fish glumly with his fork, teasing out bits of meat between its bones and Daichi sees the problem there. Without thinking, Daichi reaches over and debones Kuroo's fish cleanly with his chopsticks.

"I can do that," Kuroo says sulkily as Daichi leaves the fish bones by the side of his plate. "You know I can."

With both hands, Kuroo can debone a fish even faster than Daichi can and Daichi does indeed know it. But Kuroo with only one good arm is clumsy and sulky, so unlike his usual self-assured self that Daichi finds it incredibly endearing. Rarely does Daichi have the clear upper hand over Kuroo and he is going to seize the chance to gloat.

"You're such a baby." Daichi picks up a mouthful of fish with his chopsticks and puts it to Kuroo's lips teasingly. "Say aah."

Kuroo chomps down on Daichi's chopsticks without hesitation, his eyes meeting Daichi's smugly, and Daichi nearly drops his chopsticks in surprise. His face is hot as he pulls his chopsticks back and he nearly knocks over his bowl of soup with his elbow.

"If you're gonna start doing this, you better commit to it, Daichi," Kuroo mumbles through his mouthful of fish, equal parts triumphant and relieved at finally being able to eat a whole piece of fish.

"Didn't you just say you could do it yourself?" Daichi retorts, ready to return to his meal and leave Kuroo to his fork and spoon.

"I don't have to if you're doing it for me," Kuroo says and he puts his fork down, opening his mouth expectantly.

"You're so spoilt," Daichi grumbles. He doesn't have to listen to Kuroo. If he leaves Kuroo alone for long enough, Kuroo will get restless and start feeding himself again. Daichi doesn't have to bother with him. He still has one good arm.

Daichi finds himself reaching for Kuroo's fish again.

\---

Daichi decides to go home in the evening. It is Saturday, which means that neither of them have work responsibilities to deal with today, but Daichi thinks he should stop imposing on Kuroo in his home—even if Kuroo has been the one doing most of the imposing with his right arm in its cast. Daichi makes lunch for them and washes the dishes, then they laze the afternoon away until Daichi starts thinking about what to make for dinner.

After dinner, Daichi clears the table and washes the dishes as Kuroo takes a shower, his casted arm fully waterproofed in cling wrap. Daichi goes into Kuroo's bedroom to grab his phone and keys, ready to leave when he hears the bathroom door creak open.

"Daichi!" Kuroo calls and Daichi steps out of the bedroom to see Kuroo's head sticking out of the bathroom, his hair slicked down and dripping water on the floor.

"What is it?" Daichi asks as he hurries to Kuroo.

Kuroo looks fine and Daichi hadn't heard anything out of sorts happen in the bathroom. He has a towel wrapped around his narrow hips and water runs off him in rivulets, distracting Daichi as he traces their path down Kuroo's chest and abs with his eyes. Daichi snaps back to attention after he realises that he had been blatantly staring and he hopes that Kuroo hadn't noticed.

"Can you, um," Kuroo starts, looking uncertain.

"What?" Daichi asks nervously, affected by Kuroo's sudden coyness. "Did something happen to your cast?"

"No, not that. You wrapped it up nice and watertight for me." Kuroo shows the said arm to Daichi. "It's just, um. I can't seem to wash my hair properly with one hand and..."

"You need help washing your hair?" Daichi ventures, catching on to what Kuroo might be asking.

"Yes," Kuroo says sheepishly, "please."

Daichi's heart does a strange little somersault as he looks at Kuroo, his hair flat and dripping wet, his cheeks flushed pink from his shower, and he clamps down on the swell of emotion in his chest as he says, "I can do that."

"You're a lifesaver," Kuroo sighs in relief and he steps aside to let Daichi into the bathroom.

Daichi rolls up his sleeves, grabs Kuroo's shampoo from the shelf, and kicks a stool over for Kuroo to sit on. As Kuroo plops himself down on the stool obediently, Daichi settles down on the side of the bathtub and pulls the shower head over. Kuroo shudders as Daichi soaks his hair with water and Daichi tries his best to concentrate on Kuroo's head and only his head, not the wide, muscled expanse of his back or his long, lean legs awkwardly folded up on either side of him.

Kuroo sighs happily as Daichi lathers up the shampoo in his hair, his fingers gently massaging Kuroo's scalp and combing through his hair. Daichi smiles, shaping Kuroo's hair into a shark's fin for his own amusement before he smooshes it down. The faster he helps Kuroo wash his hair, the sooner he can get out of here and not have to fight down the urge to let his eyes or hands roam any lower on Kuroo's body.

"Are you going to be like this the whole time your arm is in its cast?" Daichi asks, making conversation to distract himself from all that alluringly bare wet skin Kuroo shows off in front of him. "How are you going to make it through the next six weeks?"

"Hmm," Kuroo hums, still blissed out from Daichi's hands in his hair. "You could always move back in with me again. It'll be like the old days."

Daichi snorts, shaping Kuroo's hair into a swirl and patting it down again. "And then you'd be finding polite ways to ask me to leave when you want to have your girlfriend over for the night. No thanks."

In Kuroo's defence, that had happened only a handful of times when they had been housemates and Kuroo always made it up to him the next day by buying him dinner or taking him out for breakfast at Daichi's favourite cafe. But it still stung when Daichi had to bundle his things up and crash at one of their friends' places while knowing what Kuroo was doing in their tiny apartment. It had been one of the reasons why Daichi wanted his own place, even though Kuroo had asked him to share with him after graduation.

"I'm not seeing anyone right now," Kuroo says.

"You will," Daichi says, reaching for the shower head. "You're a catch."

"What if I'm not looking for anyone now?"

Daichi fumbles with the shower head, his eyes prickling with heat. "Then in the future. You won't want me around for that."

"Daichi—" Kuroo starts to turn around and Daichi grabs his shoulder to hold him in place, wiping his eyes on his sleeves hurriedly.

"Don't move, you'll get shampoo in your eyes."

Kuroo slips out of his hold easily enough, his skin slick with water and shampoo foam, and he turns fully to face Daichi, his expression open and pleading in a way Daichi can't handle. "Daichi, listen to me—"

He doesn't get to finish his sentence as Daichi turns the tap in blind panic and a spray of water jumps from the shower head and into the face. Kuroo reels backwards, his good arm pinwheeling in the air as he tries to stay on the stool, his eyes squeezed shut as shampoo foam runs down his face, and Daichi drops the shower head to grab Kuroo by the uninjured arm before he falls backwards.

"Shit, I'm sorry, Kuroo," Daichi apologises frantically as he pulls Kuroo towards him, his heart pounding as he realises that he nearly sent Kuroo back to the A&E. The spray from the shower head soaks him as he makes a wild grab for it where it lies in the bathtub. "Keep your eyes closed."

Kuroo stays still, draped over Daichi's thigh like a drowning man clutching at driftwood, and Daichi rinses the shampoo off his head quickly. Daichi's clothes are soaked through and his pants leg is one big damp spot where Kuroo is pressed up against it, his chin resting on Daichi's knee as Daichi dumps water on his hair. When the last of the shampoo is gone, Daichi turns the tap off and Kuroo looks up at him, blinking his reddened eyes rapidly.

"Wow, Daichi, you should have warned me if murder was still the plan," Kuroo says, sweeping his damp hair out of his face.

"Sorry," Daichi says, his face flushed with embarrassment.

"Now will you listen to me?" Kuroo asks, keeping his arm wrapped around Daichi's leg, anchoring him down as if expecting Daichi to bolt. He had managed to stay on the stool, his legs folded to the side to keep him from banging his knees against the tub. The towel wrapped around his waist has gone translucent with water and Daichi averts his eyes before he can look too closely under it. It isn't anything Daichi hasn't seen before, but now with Kuroo looking up at him from between his legs, he doesn't want to think about it at all.

"What were you going to say?" Daichi asks before he remembers that he had been trying to avoid what Kuroo was going to say.

"I was going to say, before you attempted to murder me," Kuroo tells him, his fingers wrapped comfortably against Daichi's calf, "was that I'm not dating anyone right now and I'm not looking for anyone because I know exactly who I want."

"Oh," Daichi says, his voice light and airy, sounding strange and distant as it comes out of him. "Who is it? Is it someone we know?"

"I think you'd know him because I'm hanging onto his leg right now," Kuroo drums his fingers against Daichi's calf pointedly and the sensation runs right up Daichi's leg. Kuroo rests his chin on Daichi's knee, his eyes soft as he looks up at Daichi from under his sopping fringe. "I like you, Daichi, and I was a dumbass not to know it earlier. You're too good to me even though I was a dumbass."

Heat prickles behind Daichi's eyes, burning his whole face, and he can't think straight when Kuroo is looking at him like that. He wipes his eyes on his sleeves again and takes a deep breath, collecting himself as much as he can before he says what he has been wanting to say to Kuroo for years, "That's because I like you too. Dumbass."

Kuroo's fingers tighten around Daichi's calf, pressing against his skin through the damp cloth and Daichi shivers. "I figured. For how long?"

"Since we were housemates."

Kuroo flinches. "I'm sorry for not noticing earlier."

"What would you have done about it?" Daichi asks as he exhales deeply, his heart twingeing in his chest bitterly. "You were having fun on your dates and all your partners were girls. I thought you were straight."

"I'm bi," Kuroo corrects. "I dated girls and guys in university and after but we knew that we wouldn't be keeping it up in the long term. As you said, it was mostly about having fun. You're different, Daichi. I missed you after we stopped being housemates. I missed having you around, hearing you laugh at my dumb jokes or teasing me for doing dumb things." He chuckles. "I can't believe it took a broken arm for me to realise how much I love you."

Daichi sniffs, wiping his eyes on his sleeves again, and he can't tell if that is helping when his eyes and sleeves are both as damp as each other. He feels like the dumb one here, crying when he should be happy. It doesn't feel real, Kuroo saying that he likes him, Kuroo naked and draped over Daichi's thigh like he belongs there, Kuroo with his arm in a ridiculous cast and its even more ridiculous cling wrap waterproofing.

Daichi eyes Kuroo's casted arm, remembering that it had probably been the cause of all this. "Maybe you _should_ break your arm more often."

"If it'll keep you around for long, I'll break it as many times as you like." Kuroo smiles, uncurling his good arm from Daichi's leg and reaching up to draw Daichi down towards him. "So stay with me please, Daichi?"

Daichi can't say no. He could never say no to Kuroo. Kuroo makes his heart weak and he has no defences against Kuroo, especially not when Kuroo is looking up him like this, so earnest and dear, the only person Daichi has ever wanted this badly.

"Please don't break anything again," Daichi says, touching Kuroo's injured arm carefully. "I'm not doing everything if I'm going to be moving back in with you."

Kuroo smiles and rather than seeing it, Daichi feels it spread across his lips as he leans down to meet Kuroo.

\---

"You're really going to make me do all the work, aren't you?" Daichi huffs as he climbs onto Kuroo, trying not to jar Kuroo's broken arm as he sits on him, his knees braced on either side of Kuroo's waist.

"But you're just so _good_ at it, Daichi," Kuroo says, keeping his good hand on Daichi's thigh, his eyes taking in all of Daichi's body hungrily. "Wait, how are you so good at this?"

"Just because I didn't chase you out of our apartment doesn't mean that I wasn't doing _anything_ in university," Daichi tells him as he lowers himself on Kuroo, his breath hitching in his throat as Kuroo pushes past his entrance. "It's called having manners."

Kuroo's hand tightens on Daichi's thigh and Daichi loses Kuroo for a moment as Kuroo throws his head back against the pillow, moaning shamelessly as Daichi seats himself fully on him. Daichi bites his lip, smug satisfaction rising in him as Kuroo looks back at him with dazed eyes, his hair mussed up and falling into his face, still damp from their shower.

Kuroo sees him looking, sees the smugness in Daichi's face, and he strokes his thumb along the inside of Daichi's thigh, promising, "I'll make it up to you after my arm's all healed up. You can stay here as much as you want."

"I'm adding at least six weeks of cooking and cleaning to your tab."

"I'll even wrap your arm with cling wrap for you," Kuroo throws in, grinning up at Daichi.

Daichi laughs and he braces his hands on Kuroo's hips, leaning in to peck him on the lips before he starts to move.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> Find me here: [tumblr](http://kythen.tumblr.com) / [twitter](http://twitter.com/catcrowcalls)
> 
> EDIT: Please look at [this adorable art of Daichi and Kuroo's doki doki shower scene](https://huii-2d.tumblr.com/post/175688353882/haikyuu-let-me-stay-by-your-side) by none other than [the wonderful Huii herself!](https://huii-2d.tumblr.com)


End file.
